In This World
by NotSureThings
Summary: Ana is kidnapped with no memory of what happened before, and nothing is as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

Ana's eyes felt heavy as she tried to open them, only able to squint. Her head was throbbing and her body ached. She shifted on the bed, it was a firm bed, almost as if cardboard was under the blanket. The room she was in was dark, small, and there weren't any windows. Her eyes adjusted the best they could. She was so tired. She reluctantly sat up and slowly tried to stand up, only to feel a burning sensation against her wrist. Her right wrist was tied strongly to the bed post. Panic rose to her throat in a hurry as she tugged and scraped at it the best she could, but it wouldn't budge. She also felt very weak, so that didn't help the matter.

"Where the hell am I," Ana mumbled to herself as vision of last night came back in a blurry rush. She was at a club and met a charming stranger. Everything had gone well, or so she thought, but she couldn't remember many details, everything was still fuzzy. She just remembered everything going black, then she woke up in a dark room, tied to the bed.

The cold, stale air caressed her body like an unwelcome winter wind. She shivered and tried to pull her jacket closer with her free hand. She remembered she wore a jacket last night, but it wasn't there anymore. Nothing was there. She was completely naked. This terrified her even more and she fiercely pulled at the rope.

"Come on, come on," she whimpered as she decided to bite on the rope just as footsteps thudded slowly down stairs. Somebody was coming.

**_Comment or inbox me what you want to happen to Ana next! _**


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks Mommygrey4113 for the idea of a horror/adventure story. And thank you Guest for suggesting that she gets a chance to escape. But will it work? We shall see!_

* * *

The footsteps became louder as they get closer to the door. The sound of keys jingle and Ana squeezes her eyes shut, pretending to be knocked out. She figures if she's still unconscious they might not hurt her. The door squeaks open as the sound of a light flicks on. Boots lazily stomp against the wooden floor towards her then ends with a clank sound. Somebody set something down, but Ana isn't sure what and she doesn't dare open her eyes yet. She realizes she's also holding her breathe as well, which was not intentional at all. The footsteps get further away from her and soon the squeaky door closes and keys lock it back from the outside. Ana waits till she hears the person go upstairs before feeling safe enough to open her eyes again.

It takes Ana a moment to adjust to the brightly lit room. It only has one light bulb lowly hanging over the bed from a rusty chain, but it was more than enough to light up the small room. Ana peeks over the side of the bed and sees a tray of food. This was what the person had brought in. It had mash potatoes, a banana, and one slice of bread. An odd combination, she thought, and despite the grumble in her stomach, she couldn't bring herself to eat anything.

Ana sat back and hugged her knees to her chest when she noticed markings. Not bruises, but actual markings with a surgical pen. The kind cosmetic doctors use. The markings were all over her body outlining each limb and lung. She hasn't noticed before because it was so dark.

"Oh my gosh," Ana whimpered as her breath quickened. She imagined being carried away where people cut her open and took her organs. She only heard about stuff like this on the news or movies, never thinking it could happen to her. She had to get into survival mode. She examined what she did have. A plastic tray, one plastic spoon, and soft food. All useless. "Think, think," she chanted to herself. She was almost in tears when she looked up at the light bulb. It was hanging low enough to kick.

Ana stood up the best she could (with the rope around her wrist restraining her) and hoped her yoga lessons and high school years of cheerleading would do some good. She jumped and kicked as high as she could, hitting the light bulb clear off the chain and it shattered all over the room. Ana picked up a piece of broken glass that had fell onto the bed and gnawed away at the rope. After a minute or two, the rope finally ripped and Ana rubbed at her sore wrist. She felt free and level headed for the first time since she woke up.

Ana searched the floor until she found the biggest piece of glass from the light bulb and grabbed it. She stood behind the door and waited. She didn't know when the person would come back, but they would. It felt like hours (maybe it was) when she finally heard the footsteps again. She squeezed the glass in her hand until it cut into her flesh, but she didn't mind. That was the least of her worries. The familiar sound of keys twisted the locks and Ana sucked her breath in. Was she going to do this? Would she kill somebody? The door began to open as a masked man stepped in.

It was now or never...


	3. Chapter 3

Ana held her breath as the man walked into the room. It's now or never, she thought to herself as she lunged forward and stabbed the glass into his throat. He clutched his neck as he opened his mouth to scream, but he gurgled blood instead. Ana shrunk into the corner of the room and covered her eyes. It didn't feel good to kill somebody, even if they deserved it. The man fell to his knees then onto his face. Ana finally opened her eyes and slowly walked over to him. She kicked him once, and when he didn't move she took off his mask. He was an older guy in his 50's. Even though she couldn't remember anything, she had a feeling she never knew him. She peeled off his jacket, which thankfully barely had blood on it, and put it on. It fit her like a loose mini dress. She didn't want to remove the broken glass from the man's neck (she didn't think she could stomach it) and left the room weaponless.

Looking up at the stairs which lead to another door was even more daunting than being trapped in the room. Ana went up the stairs and opened the door. She gasped as she stepped out. It was like another world. An extremely wealthy person stayed here and kept it immaculate. She wondered how her shabby room even existed in the same place. Ana cautiously walked around, finding the kitchen and eating 3 mini sandwiches (the kind you'd see at a party). She wondered if the people who lived here were about to celebrate something? Such as another victim they got - her. She suddenly felt queasy and closed the fridge.

Ana walked down a long hallway with doors throughout and peeked into a few. They were all empty except one where an older woman was sleeping. Judging by her designer robe and painting (of herself?) hanging over the bed, Ana knew she lived there. Ana quickly shut the door back and quietly ran across the hall, which lead to spiral stairs. She went down and alas, she saw the front door. She opened the door just as a memory washed over her.

She was back in the club with that charming stranger again. She couldn't remember his face, but she remembered being happy at that moment. They were dancing and when he held her hand, his fingers brushed against her diamond ring. He was also with her in the last seconds before everything went black. Had he been abducted too?

Ana was brought back to the present as a cool breeze caressed her face. She stared outside at the perfectly manicured lawn that stretched the length of a football field until reaching the_ actual_ mansion. She was just being kept in a very "small" part of the house. Probably the guest area. She looked at her left hand and felt weak in the knees. She had a wedding ring on, just like in her memories. She wished she could remember more as she touched the ring. She clenched her fist as she began the journey across the grass. She picked up a shovel she saw leaning against a shed along the way. She knew what she had to do. If her husband was still here she was going to find him.


	4. Chapter 4

It felt like hours before Ana finally made it to the main house, but it was only minutes. She peered through the windows, thinking how cliché it was for rich people to have their curtains open. The inside looked empty, but there were several cars parked in the huge driveway, so somebody was inside. Even if 10 people were living there, it could still look empty. Ana opened the front door and walked in. She thought if she touched anything alarms would go off, but no such thing happened. She heard music coming from around a corner and down a hall, but she didn't investigate. Her braveness wore off being inside this huge place. It felt like a maze and she was the mouse. Ana squeezed the shovel and went the opposite way of the music, which was upstairs.

She kept glancing at her ring, reminding herself why she was here. Because every step she took, she felt like running outside and leaving this place to rot. Even though she had no idea where she'd go or how'd she get a phone, "Keep it together," Ana murmured to herself. The sound of her voice was soothing. She stopped in front of the first door she saw upstairs, slowly opened it, and walked inside. It was vacant and dark. Except the bathroom door was open and the light was on, and the water was running. Ana's breathing quickened as she made her way to the bathroom. She didn't have a plan, but she had a shovel. She walked into the bathroom and saw it was empty as well. She frowned as she shut off the water. Who would leave the water running? As she turned back into the room a shorter woman around her age — maybe even younger — walked out of a walk-in closet in a fluffy white robe.

"Oh my," the woman said as she stared wide-eyed at Ana. Ana wasn't sure who was more scared of whom. "I'm so sorry. Please put the shovel down."

"No," Ana replied as she gripped the shovel tighter. "Who are you?"

"It is me, Mia," she raised an eyebrow, but she looked relieved. "You don't remember, do you?"

"No, I don't. I was kidnapped and woke up in a basement."

Mia's expression softened, and she stepped forward. "Oh Ana, I don't know what you're talking about. There must be a mistake."

"How do you know my name? Don't walk any closer!"

Mia stopped. "Okay, calm down. We're friends. You were with my brother. Just please put down the shovel."

Ana nodded, but she didn't put it down. "Who put these markings on my body?"

"What markings?"

Ana's face flushed as she realized the markings were all under her jacket and she didn't feel comfortable taking it off and being exposed to this stranger. Mia slowly took a step forward and reached out for the shovel. "Ana, sit down, and we'll talk about this. Whatever has happened to you, we can fix together, ok?"

Ana frowned, but agreed and let Mia take the shovel. Mia set it down against a dresser next to a chair. "Here, you can sit in this chair and be next to the shovel," she said with a hint of humor.

Ana gave a small smile as she sat down, feeling slightly silly for getting the shovel in the first place. She just wanted this to be over.

"I'm gonna get you some clean clothes. You'll be able to fit mine."

"Thank you," Ana whispered as Mia walked away to look through her drawer. Ana cupped her face in her hands. Maybe Mia was right and somehow this was all a big misunderstanding. It didn't make sense, but she didn't have much to go on. She was so happy she felt like crying. She finally found somebody to help her. She rolled her eyes at the shovel, and the reflection from the metal plate showed Mia grabbing something discreetly out of the drawer. Ana squinted as she watched Mia in the shovel's reflection. It was more distorted than a mirror, but it was clear that Mia carried no clothes as she walked towards Ana again.

"I found the cutest outfit. I hope you like it," Mia said in a sing-song voice.

"Mia?" Ana said as she continued to stare at Mia's reflection. She kept going over their conversation in her head.

"Yes?"

"Why did you apologize when you first saw me?"

Mia stopped in her tracks as Ana held her breath. The elephant in the room was out and it felt like time had frozen.

"Because," Mia said as she raised her arm in the air, and Ana could barely make out an object in her hand. "I thought you remembered," she added as she lunged forward just as Ana turned around and grabbed her wrist. Mia was holding a syringe that contained a clear liquid.

"Why are you doing this?!" Ana said through gritted teeth as she held off the syringe that Mia tried to push into her.

"Because you would have ruined everything!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Mia grinned as her innocent demeanor turned dark. "You will. But by the time you remember everything, the only thing you'll be worth is your organs."

A vivid memory of guts in containers made Ana want to vomit. She pushed Mia backward. Mia fell hard onto the floor but still clutched the syringe. Ana quickly grabbed the shovel as Mia was getting up and swung it as hard as she could. The blade of the shovel connected with Mia's neck with a deafening crack sound.

Ana dropped the shovel as she stared at Mia's limp body. Before she could help it, she was crying and shaking. She wondered if anything Mia had said was true? She knew one thing was true though; her memories were coming back. Even the house seemed familiar. She knew the layout even though she hadn't moments ago. But this didn't help. Ana felt even more confused than she had before. Ana tried to calm down and walked out of the room and back downstairs. She would try her luck outside this time. Even if she found her husband, she wouldn't know who to believe anymore until she remembered everything. The music from earlier stopped (was it a piano?), and she slowly crept across the floor. Her trembling hand touched the doorknob when she heard a voice.

"Anastasia?"

Ana glanced over her shoulder and saw a man maybe a couple of years older than her. His casual attire and aurora made it clear that he lived here.

"Stay away from me," Ana tried to say firmly, but her voice was quivering.

"I thought I'd never see you again. I thought you'd be - "

"What? You thought I'd be dead?"

"Yes, I did. This is all my fault, Anastasia."

"Why does everybody know my name?"

He frowned. "You don't remember?"

"No!" yelled Ana. She was sick of everybody saying that. "I woke up in this mansion chained to a bed with surgery marks, and everybody is trying to kill me!"

His jaw tensed. He seemed genuinely upset that people were trying to kill her, but then again, she thought Mia was genuine too. "We should have left when we had the chance," he muttered more to himself. "I know how crazy must this seem, but just stay close to me. I'm Christian and we... knew each other."

"How did we know each other?"

"It doesn't matter what I say, because you won't believe me."

Ana knew that was true. She couldn't trust anybody, and she hated that she left the shovel upstairs. She felt so vulnerable near him.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," said Christian as he read the look on her face. "Come here."

Ana felt her legs moving towards him, despite her mind saying stop, but she didn't have a choice. He was stronger and taller than her, and she couldn't outrun him in her condition. She figured she might as well play along. He embraced her, and his warmth was so familiar like she had done this a thousand times. It didn't feel creepy or awkward like she thought it would be.

"We have to get out of here," Ana mumbled as she hugged him back. "Christian?" She looked up at him when he was hesitant to reply.

He sighed. "Anastasia, we can't leave."


	5. Chapter 5

Ana stepped back as she pushed away from Christian. "What do you mean we can't leave?"

"Relax, I didn't mean it like that. The mansion is surrounded by a gate that's protected by armed security guards. Nobody gets in or out without our say so."

"But you live here, you can get through."

"I could, but you can't. They'd kill us both if they saw me sneaking you out."

Ana felt uneasy. Even the guards knew she was supposed to "stay" here. _More like die here,_ she thought bitterly.

"What's going on?"

"As I said before, it doesn't matter what I tell you because you won't believe me. You have to remember on your own, Anastasia." He grabbed Ana's hands, making her look at him. "And when you do, just know I'm trying to make it right this time."

Ana nodded, feeling a little numb. What did he mean by 'This time'? She was sure it came out more eerie than he intended. "Then call the police. They'll help us."

Christian shook his head. "Can't do that either."

"Why not?"

Christian sighed, "Follow me," Ana was hesitant but followed him to the living room where a painting hung on the wall. It was a family portrait. Mia and the older man Ana killed earlier were in it. She assumed it was the dad. Christian and an older woman (the mom?), and another guy around Christian's age (the brother?) was also in the portrait. Ana couldn't be sure, but her heart pounded loudly in her chest. Was Christian just as crazy as the others?

"This is my family," Christian said slowly.

"So... you're a part of all this?" Ana said as she tried to keep her voice from quivering. She hoped she didn't sound as scared as she felt.

Christian tilted his head. "It's a little more complicated than that. We have a family business. I was born into it, and I'm good at it. The FBI has been hunting the Greys for a long time, but we're always one step ahead. We have people on the inside, dirty cops, lawyers, you name it. Even if you call the cops, we'll probably be let off before the day is done."

"But at least I'll be able to get away," Ana replied. That's all she wanted. She could care less about them doing whatever they were doing.

"For a while, yeah, but my family will hunt you and kill you for "embarrassing" them in the first place. You should just stay here until I get everything cleared up."

Ana didn't feel great about waiting to meet more psychos. Let alone watching Christian trying to convince them about why they shouldn't kill her. That's if he was telling the truth, and this wasn't just a ploy to keep her there. "Why are you telling me this?"

"It's nothing I haven't told you before, Anastasia," Ana glanced away. His tone and the way he was looking at her was too much. It was like everybody knew her, except her. "Stay close, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Ana wondered why he was trying to help her. He was obviously involved somehow with all of this, but she didn't know what role he played yet.

"Can you tell me something about us? Anything?" Ana pleaded. She didn't know what she could trust, but she hoped something would trigger a memory.

Christian nodded as if he wasn't sure he wanted to say anything or not, but finally decided to. "Well, in this business, it's hard to settle down. Then I found you. You changed everything, Anastasia."

Ana couldn't imagine herself changing much, but he was making her nervous, that's for sure. She looked down and twisted the ring on her finger. Was he her husband? Is that why he was helping her?

"Where we..." Ana fumbled to get the right words as she glanced at his left hand, which had no ring. She felt stupid and confused all over again.

Christian furrowed his brows, something he did when he was confused. A detail Ana knew for some reason.

"Where we what?"

"Nothing, I have to get out of there."

"Anastasia, stop."

"I have to find a phone."

"What are you going to ask me?'

"It's nothing!" Ana snapped. "If you wanna help me, leave me alone."

Christian didn't know why her demeanor had changed so quickly. "You're gonna die on your own," Ana frowned in response. She was desperate to leave, and Christian sensed this. "Look, my sister can disguise you in her clothes so we could get past the guards. I'd have to convince her to help us, so wait here."

Ana felt her panic rising. Mia was his sister. She couldn't imagine Christian still trying to help if he knew she killed her.

"I can ask her," Ana said.

"You two weren't on the best terms. I don't think that's a good idea."

"I remember her," Ana lied. "Just let me talk to her alone, please." He nodded and said he'd be up in ten minutes if she weren't back. Ana went into Mia's room and locked the door. Her body was still in the middle of the room, her neck twisted badly. Ana couldn't stomach moving her, so she stepped over her and began looking for a phone. She planned to call the police, then hide until they arrived. Ana had no intention of seeing Christian again. She didn't trust anybody.

Ana had no luck finding a phone, and she couldn't go back out the door, so she went out of the window. It wasn't scary. There was a big balcony that stretched around to other rooms. She peered into the next window over and saw an empty bedroom. The window was already open, so it was an excellent opportunity. She climbed inside the large room, it had to be the master bedroom. It had a massive painting of the man and woman she saw in the picture earlier. Only this one had their names Carrick&Grace written on it. It was clearly the older guy she had killed at first. Ana shuddered and avoided looking at it as she continued her search for a phone with no luck.

That didn't detour her, because there was another door in the room that leads to an office. It was an incredibly perfect office with nothing out of place. It was almost too neat. Ana looked in every drawer and shelf, but only found folders filled with blank papers. It made no sense. Why would a fake office be set up here? Ana kept searching for something, anything that would make sense, but nothing was there. There was even a coffee mug on the desk to make it look like somebody used this place. Ana picked up the cup, intending to smash it in frustration, but it didn't get fully off the desk. Instead, it just flipped back like a switch, and the wall behind her slide open like a door.

"What the-" Ana began as she watched the wall reveal an elevator behind it. This wasn't her first time seeing this, and she knew what horrors it leads to, but she also knew that there where phones down here.

Ana felt herself shaking as she pressed the button, and the elevator dinged open. The memory was piecing itself together as she reluctantly stepped in, feeling her skin crawl just thinking about being in this place again. She closed her eyes as she began to remember the first time she was here...


	6. Chapter 6

All flashbacks throughout the chapter are in _italics._

_**Flashback**_

_"Watch your step, come on, I got you."_

_Ana would roll her eyes if she could. She didn't think it was necessary to be blindfolded, but this was supposedly the only way. Christian's family didn't want a random girl knowing where they lived. It seemed so bizarre to Ana, but she knew they were rich, so she simply thought they were paranoid or weird. Christian told her this was his longest relationship, so she figured his family would have welcomed her with open arms, but no such thing happened._

_In fact, Christian always acted upset whenever she mentioned seeing his family. She thought he'd be more open after six months of being together, it bummed her out sometimes. Then things got worse. He told her she could never meet his family and that if she couldn't deal with that, he'd break up. She felt like he was hiding her, so they ended up breaking up, but only for a few hours as Christian called her that night. It was the weirdest call Ana had ever received. He told her there were consequences to dating him and that his family wasn't "morally all there." He said this was her last chance to get out and he would genuinely never contact her again. But Ana, like most young women in love, ignored all the red flags and said she was with him no matter what. She assumed he had a family member who was an alcoholic or maybe something exceedingly terrible, like a pedophile uncle or something. Either way, Ana understood that what one family member did, doesn't reflect on everybody. So Christian agreed that she could meet his family, but first, he had to show her his family's business, so she'd understand why he was so hesitant. The one condition was she covered her eyes the drive there. It was the only way._

_"Can I take the blindfold off now?" Ana asked._

_"Nope," Christian replied. He was leading her by the hand throughout the house. She heard the door open. "Okay, we're here." He took the blindfold off, and Ana blinked her eyes. It was an office, and it was oddly neat._

_Ana smirked. "This is apart of your house?" Christian nodded. He seemed nervous, which was something he never was. He was always so sure of himself. "Are you okay?"_

_"Yes," he sighed. "I can't imagine losing you, Anastasia. I want you to be apart of this. I need you to be apart of this."_

_Ana frowned as she cupped her hands on his face. She didn't understand why he was talking like this or why he had shown her an office. "You'd never lose me."_

_Christian didn't seem convinced. He gently removed her hands from his face and walked to the desk. Ana raised her eyebrow in confusion. He tilted a mug on the desk backward, and the back wall started sliding open, revealing an elevator was behind it._

_Ana's eyes widened. "Christian... what is this?"_

_"Are you ready to find out?"_

**Present time**

Ana took a deep breath as the elevator doors opened, and she stepped off. It was like a state of the art hospital — clean, white, walls, with silver, checkered flooring. Doors and long hallways, going in every direction, but Ana knew her way. She went down the third hallway and into a room with rows of rather old landline phones sitting at desks.

"Please be working, please be working," Ana chanted as she ran over to a phone. She lifted it and sighed of relief at the sound of the dial tone. She punched in 9-1-1.

"Hello, nine one one, what's your emergency?"

* * *

"_Woah, I can't believe you have this place in your house," Ana said as she glanced around at the fantastic hospital-like place._

_Christian shrugged. "Come on," he said as he walked down a hall and into a room. Many people, speaking different languages, sat in cubicles as they talked on old modeled phones. "These are our employees. They take inbound calls."_

_"Wow, an international business. It must be booming."_

_"Well, it is a billion-dollar business. Not many people are dedicated to doing what we do."_

_"What exactly you do?"_

_Christian tightly smiled. "I thought you'd never ask," they went out of the room and continued down the hall. He'd occasionally point out what a place was for, such as the backup generators, cleaning tools, etc. "And here is where we keep all the merchandise," he opened a metal door using an iris scanner. Ana knew whatever it was required very high-level security. The door opened, and inside was a vast metal room with stacks of iceboxes. It was freezing. Ana hugged her arms around herself as she walked deeper into the room. More employees were there as well, organizing crates and containers. They wore body suits and gloves. Ana thought it was odd but no odder than the person who walked past with a tray of what looked like guts._

_"What is that?" Ana asked. She was repulsed._

_"The rejected pile," Christian said causally._

_"It almost looked like someone's insides," Ana joked, but Christian stayed neutral. Ana felt herself growing uneasy. "But it's not, right?"_

_Christian sighed. "I suppose there's no easy way to say it. We sell organs on the black market." Ana shook her head. He couldn't be serious. These things were on the news and movies, but she couldn't find somebody who did this in real life? Ana went to a box and lifted the lid. "Anastasia, don't -" A human heart on packs of ice was inside._

_"Oh my gosh," Ana gasped as she hurried out the room and sat on the floor. Her breath was so short and fast that it sounded like sobbing. Christian knelt beside her._

_"I'm sorry, Ana. I didn't want it to be like this, but it is. You'll get used to it."_

_Ana shook her head in response. Was he kidding? "Get me out of here."_

_"You wanted in, so you're in. We're a team now, and there's no going back. It may take a while for my family to accept you, but they will. It only gets better from here, Anastasia."_

_"No! I want to go home!"_

_"What is all this noise?" asked a doctor who rushed around the corner. Ana looked up an saw an older brunette woman with Dr. Grey on her white coat. She froze when she saw Ana. "Why is she down here? Somebody get me a sedative!"_

_"Grace, I brought her here," said Christian. "She's gonna be apart of our family."_

_Grace frowned. She hoped he was joking, but unfortunately, he wasn't. "You're making a mistake. Nobody is going to accept this. Why couldn't you just do your job?" A nurse brought sedatives to Grace, but she hesitantly waved them off._

_Ana looked back and forth from Grace to Christian. She wondered what Grace meant by that last sentence. Christian helped Ana to her feet as he turned to Grace._

_"Because she's different."_

* * *

"My name is Anastasia Steele, and I have been abducted. This family drugged me and tied me up and locked me in a room, but I escaped. I'm still in the house, though, and they do human organ trafficking. I think I was gonna be their next victim and I'm so scared, please send help," Ana blurted out.

"Ma'am, slow down. Is somebody with you?"

"No, not now, but they'll be back soon."

"What is your address?"

"I-I don't know."

"That's okay, just stay on the line and we'll track where you are."

"Okay," Ana replied as she heard a whirring noise close by, maybe a room over. She didn't feel safe waiting here. The room was all glass, so if anybody that walked passed, they'd see her. She tried to calm herself by focusing on her memories that were coming back. It wasn't much, but it was something. She knew now that she dated Christian, but they weren't married, which made her confused about the ring still. She knew the horrible business the family did, but not why Mia said she made the family look weak and why Christian wanted to "make it right this time" with her. It seemed like every piece of the puzzle made her more confused.

"Ma'am, are you still there?"

Ana had forgotten she was on the phone, and she was about to reply when footsteps squeaked against the polished floor, and Ana ducked behind a cubicle.

"Hello? Ma'am, we are getting your location. Can you get somewhere safe until we arrive?"

Ana hung up the phone. She didn't want to risk being heard. The footsteps passed by, and Ana got out of the room. She hoped she was on the phone long enough for the police to track her. She tiptoed out the room peeked around the corner where the whirring sound was coming from. Was it smart to investigate the noise? Probably not, but curiosity killed the cat. The sound of the tool got louder as Ana approached. She stopped in front of another room with glass walls, but inside was set up like an emergency room. A doctor was there performing surgery on a patient. Ana could see surgery mark's on the patient's body just like the ones on her own. Ana recognized the doctor. It was Grace, and she was cutting into somebody's torso. The patient was paralyzed, but their eyes were opened and looking around. They were alive.

Ana screamed, and Grace's head snapped up. Ana covered her mouth (even though it was too late), and ran. Her heart pounded in her chest as an alarm started going off, and she pushed herself to go faster. The elevator was in sight again. She had to get out of here.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the late post. I've been sick**.

_Italics_ = flashback

* * *

Ana frantically clicked the elevator button as the alarm kept ringing loudly in her ears. The elevator opened right away, and she stepped in. She held her breath until she was back in the office and tilted the cup to close the secret doorway. Grace would have to find another way up.

Ana went onto the balcony again and back into Mia's room, where she started. Everything was the same except one thing; Mia's body wasn't there. Ana knew that it was most likely that Christian had found her and possibly moved her. Did that mean he wasn't on her side anymore? Did she have to fend for herself once more? She didn't have time to worry about that. She got out of the room and crept downstairs. She found herself in the dining room, a vast and beautiful dining room. It sent shivers down her spine, and everything became familiar as she slipped into memory.

**_Flashback _**

_"Thank you for coming," said Christian as he held his arm out for Ana._

_"I'm only here for you," Ana whispered as she locked arms. She looked around at the gold chandeliers, glass sculptures, people in suits and gowns chatting, and a huge dining table with nothing short of a feast settled upon it. It would have awed Ana once, but knowing how this was achieved made her sick. She was feeling a bit nauseous, still from seeing all those guts in containers. She kept thinking about how they belonged to real people. It was crazy. She hardly knew why she agreed to come to this dinner party. Well, she knew why; to meet Christian's family formally. She supposed love made you blind, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't falling for him. "Who are all these people anyway?" There were about 30 people there, including Christian's family, and Ana knew not one. _

_"Business partners and potential buyers."_

_Ana felt her arms tense around his. "Buyers of..."_

_Christian squeezed her hand. "Don't do this here, Anastasia. Let's just get through the night, okay?" Ana nodded, but she still felt queasy, like she was doing something wrong by simply being here._

_A guy around Christian's age approached them. "I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Elliot, Christian's brother," he smiled and shook Ana's hand. "You two enjoying yourselves?"_

_"We're fine," Christian replied shortly. His tone was firm like he didn't want to be in this conversation. Ana assumed they didn't get along. _

_"It's good to meet you finally, Ana, there's been a lot of talk about you. I almost didn't believe it."_

_Ana half-smiled. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but he seemed like he was purposely trying to annoy his brother. _

_"We were about to take our seats," said Christian._

_"Of course, I have more good news, though. I got another one today," said Elliot, grinning. "Guess these good looks and charm aren't for nothing," he winked at Ana and disappeared back into the crowd of people. _

_Ana frowned. "What does he mean?"_

_"Don't worry about him, let's take our seats." _

_"Is "another one," a person?"_

_"Anastasia, stop it."_

_Ana pulled her arm away from him. "Just tell me." _

_"Do you actually want to know?"_

_Ana froze. His voice was so serious as if she said yes, he would tell her everything. And maybe he would, but Ana realized that she didn't want to know. She didn't think she could handle it. She felt silly for thinking she could ever be apart of this family._

_"No. This isn't normal. You and you're family, and the rest of these people are not well! I tried, but I can't. I can never do this." All eyes turned on Ana as she ran out of the mansion. Outside, she bumped into Mia, who rolled her eyes at the crying woman before her. _

_"Finally had enough?"_

_Ana wiped her eyes. "I don't know what I'm doing."_

_"You should kill yourself. You don't belong with us, and you're good as dead without us."_

_Ana's mouth dropped open. She didn't expect to hear that. Is this what they all thought of her?_

_Mia laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, you are fortunate to be here. If I were you, I'd walk back in here and prove I can be just as evil as anybody in that room."_

_"But I'm not," Ana whispered._

_"Of course not. You're weak, pathetic. Go on, run along." _

_Ana did run along, hearing, "It's your funeral!" being called behind her from Mia. She didn't stop until she was safe in her car. She glanced back at the house. It loomed over her like a giant cloud. She reached into the glove compartment and got the only thing that could calm her, a photo. She held it close to her heart. _

_"I miss you," Ana mumbled as a knock came on her window. She put the picture back and rolled down the window. Christian was there leaning against the car._

_"Anastasia, I need you to come back inside." Ana shook her head. She didn't trust her voice. "You don't understand; This is bigger than you and me. You can't leave."_

_"I can't stay here. I just wanted a nice relationship. I didn't want this."_

_"I didn't want this either, I was born into this, but sometimes we don't get to choose."_

_Ana shook her head again. "I still can. Goodbye, Christian," she started the engine and drove off. _

_Christian watched as Ana left the premises as a haunting feeling sunk in. Carrick shortly appeared at his side. _

_"Looks like she's gone. I was almost rooting for you two. Almost. You know what you have to do now."_

_"I won't," Christian replied through gritted teeth. _

_"Would you prefer me to send your brother instead?" _

_Christian clenched his fist. "I'll take care of her." _

Ana's mind came spiraling back from the flashback. She was no longer in the dining room, but instead a hallway that leads to a library where a rummaging noise was steadily becoming louder. She almost thought the noise was coming from her head until she peered behind a corner to see Grace digging through a draw. She looked like a madwoman as she frantically mutters to herself. Grace finally lifts out what she was looking for, which was a gun. She calmly loads it and clicks the safety off. Ana's breathing picks up, and she backs up and bumps into somebody tall. They cover her mouth before she can scream.


	8. Chapter 8

Ana tries to free herself from the person's grasp as quietly as possible so that Grace won't hear. The person seems to be quiet as well, so Ana takes that as a good sign. They let her go, and she slowly turns around. It's Christian, looking slightly sheepish as a silent apology. He motions her to be quiet as he beckons her to follow him. Ana isn't sure she wants to, but this option seems better than gun-toting Grace.

"Where are we going?" Ana asks once they are out of earshot. They were walking down a long hall, one that Ana hasn't been down and it didn't seem one bit familiar. Christian stopped in front of a metal door with a keypad. He typed in a code, and then it scanned his iris. "What is this?"

Christian pulled out keys and unlocked the door. "It's a panic room. Now nobody can get in or out without this key," he placed the key in her hand as he opened the heavy door.

"I don't get it."

"Did you call the cops like you were trying to?" Ana nodded. "Then, you're gonna wait here till they come."

"I can't just wait in a room."

"This is bulletproof and designed for nobody to get inside. That's why it's a panic room, Anastasia. You're going to stay here."

Ana nodded slowly. "Are you coming with me?"

"No, but I do have something for you," Christian handed her a hard drive. "This has all the information you need for the FBI to put away the Greys. Business deals, names of crooked lawyers and cops, videos of our inventory, recordings, everything is on this hard drive."

Ana hesitantly took it. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Because this has gone on too long. When I met you, I realized this isn't what I wanted anymore. Honestly, I don't think I ever wanted it. I just went along with it because that's all I've known."

"I can't do this."

"You're the only one who can."

"There's something I have to tell you. I'm not good either. Your family, I -"

"You killed Mia and Carrick, I know. I saw the security footage when I was putting together the hard drive."

Ana gasped at how blunt he said it. She was expecting that. "You're not mad?"

"Of course, I am, but I also know who they were. You just defended yourself, Anastasia. Now get in the room."

"There you are," Grace's voice sent chills down Ana's back. She was standing at the end of the hall, pointing the gun at Ana.

"Grace, put the gun down," said Christian.

"You're on her side now? She nearly ruined us!"

"And what about the lives we ruined and took away?"

Ana watched as Grace's scowl turned into hurt than back to anger. Grace raised the pistol at Ana and squeezed the trigger. Ana closed her eyes. She never thought she'd die like this. Without being able to remember her family or friends and having so many questions about who she is. Was anybody even looking for her? And why was Grace screaming? Ana opened her eyes to see Grace hysterically crying. She had dropped the gun and was leaning against the wall. Ana looked down and saw Christian at her feet, with a bullet wound in his chest. He had jumped in front of the bullet.

"Holy shit," Ana said as she hooked her arms under Christian's shoulders and dragged him inside the panic room. The name seemed fitting now because that's how she was feeling. Grace fumbled to grab the gun again, as Ana reached out to shut the heavy door.

"I'll kill you!" Grace screamed as she shakily shot multiple times at Ana, who closed the door just in time. Ana froze as she stared at the door and heard bullets bouncing off of it.

"Anastasia," Christian mumbled. Ana sat beside him and rested his head in her lap. She pressed her hand against his wound, but it didn't seem to help much.

"What do I do? I don't know what to do."

Christian placed his hand on top of hers. "Don't worry about me. I'm not the good guy you think I am. I need to tell you everything before it's too late."

Ana held her breath as her heartbeat quickened. She didn't know if she'd ever been ready for the truth, but it was now or never.

"Okay,"


	9. Chapter 9

Ana's hands were stained with blood as she continued to keep the pressure on Christian's gun wound. He looked paler every second that passed, and more blood seemed to pool around him. It didn't look good at all, but Ana could only focus on what he told her moments before. I need to tell you what happened. The words were haunting, and it replayed over and over in her head. She desperately wanted to know the truth, but at the moment, she didn't care. She just wanted him to survive, but what she was doing was only prolonging his fate.

"This isn't working! We have to get you help!"

"Anastasia, look at me," Ana looked at him, and she felt tears in her eyes. "Don't cry over me. You're here because of me."

"How? I don't understand."

Christian took a deep breath and winced in pain. "I'm a recruiter. My brother and I both are. Our job is to find healthy people for organ harvesting. Our targets are usually young women like yourself. It's easier for us to seduce them."

"That's why Elliot made that comment at the party," Ana said, stunned, as she remembered him saying, "I got another one today. Guess these good looks and charm aren't for nothing". Ana shook her head. He was so smug about it. She would have never known he was a monster.

"You were my next target, Anastasia. Usually, I have to fake smile and laugh and pretend I'm having the time of my life when I just want to get the job done, but it was different with you. Nothing was fake. You weren't just another job, and I couldn't go through with it."

"Is that why you tried to break up with me?"

Christian nodded. "I tried to break it off so many times, but I kept coming back, and you were so in love with me, no matter what I told you. For once, it was nice to have somebody still love me even though I was fucked up. It was selfish, though. I should have let you go. When my family found out I was dating my target, they tried to keep it quiet, but news spread and our competition and buyers alike knew about it. It wasn't a good look at all."

"I made you look weak and ruined your family's ruthless image," Ana said sadly. She now knew why Mia was so upset. "I guess being romantically involved with the person you're supposed to kill is never a good look," she joked.

Christian smirked, but he was feeling too weak to laugh. "I tried to change my family's minds about you, but they wanted you dead. I convinced them I could make you be like us. That's when I showed you what we do. I tried to make you apart of our family because it was the only way we could be together, but I should have never pushed this terrible lifestyle on you," he started coughing up blood, and Ana wiped his mouth with her jacket sleeve.

"Hey, hey, relax. Maybe you should talk about something else?"

"No, Anastasia, you deserve the truth," Ana nodded as he continued. "When you stormed out that night during the party, everybody was on edge and thought you'd go to the authorities. They sent me to go after you, but when I refused, they threatened to send Elliot, so I went. I called you and apologized, and of course, you accepted it. We went out and had a great time, but when I walked you to your car -"

"You drugged me and kidnapped me," Ana finished his sentence. "It's the first memory I had when I was here. It was you all along."

"Yes, I brought you back here. Grace made the surgical mark's on you, and Carrick tried you up. I felt regret the moment I brought you back, Anastasia. I vowed never to recruit again. I barely felt like being alive, but when I saw you at the door, I knew I had gotten a second chance. I got the chance to do it right this time."

"That's why you helped me?"

Christian nodded. "I wish our circumstances were different. I suppose you hate me now."

Ana felt like her mind was racing faster than a speeding car. "You sound like you were pressured by your insane family your whole life. You did terrible things, but I don't hate you. I'm glad you came around," Ana still had one unanswered question. "Why did your family put this ring on me?" She raised her left hand to show her ring.

"We didn't do that. I have no idea where you got it, Anastasia. You never talked about it," Christian's words became slurred and slow. His eyes started to close, and Ana patted his face.

"Stay with me, please. Christian, please don't leave me."

" I'm sorry about everything," he said as he flickered in and out of consciousness.

"Don't leave me!" Ana yelled as loud knocks came at the door. She burst into sobs as Christian's head fell limply into her lap with his eyes closed. Ana glanced around and realized all of his blood circled under them like spilled milk. She didn't think one person could lose so much blood. She checked his pulse and couldn't find one. More loud knocks at the door. It had to be Grace or Elliot, or both. "Go away, you fuckers!"

"FBI, open up!"

Ana's eyes widened. Her call went through. She gently rested Christian's head on the floor and crawled to the door, not trusting herself standing on the slippery floor and looked at the monitor. The FBI was standing outside the door. She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she scrambled with the keys and opened the door. The FBI escorted Ana out of the house, where she saw Grace and Elliot also in handcuffs. They got into a police car as she sat on the back of an ambulance car where somebody started tending to her. It almost felt like a dream.

"M'mam, we need to ask you some questions," says an agent. Ana nodded numbly.

"Can it wait? She's visibly shaken up," said the doctor, who shined a light in Ana's eyes.

The FBI agent seemed to think this over and nodded. "Of course."

"Is Christian alive?" asked Ana.

"So far, we found three bodies. All are deceased."

Ana nodded sadly. Her feeling was complicated, much like the situation.

"Ana!" A woman around her age ran toward her and hugged her. "I was so worried about you. When I heard you were here, I came as fast as I could."

Ana blinked. Kate, that's who it was. Her childhood best friend. "Kate, I - I'm so glad your here." She couldn't remember anything about her own family yet, but that would hopefully come back soon.

"Miss. Steele, we need to get you to the hospital for a full examination," said the doctor. "You can ride along if you like," she added to Kate.

"I would love to," replied Kate.

"Kate, do you know what this ring is?" She showed her left hand, and Kate's face saddened.

"Oh Ana, why are you asking about that?"

"I don't know. I barely remember anything outside of tonight. I think it's a drug that causes memory loss."

"It can't be permanent. You'll remember soon enough."

"No, Kate, I need to know now."

"It's not something you ever talked about, Ana. I don't want to be a bad friend."

"Kate, I am begging you to tell me what this stupid ring means."

Kate closed her eyes in a deep sigh. "You married your high school sweetheart, Jason Taylor. You two were so young and in love, and soon you were pregnant, and Jason was going into the army," Kate paused.

"Then what happened?"

"He died, Ana. You couldn't handle it and lost the baby as well, ever since you wore your wedding ring every day. It's been two years."

Ana blinked numbly. She didn't have any more room for tears. It felt like Kate was telling her a story about another person instead of herself. Ana saw herself drinking to cope with the loss of Jason, which lead to the loss of her baby. She hoped that it wasn't a memory, but everything was telling her otherwise. Ana hoped memories like that wouldn't come back, that they'd stay buried deep into her mind, so she could pretend it was another lifetime.

She reached into her pocket and felt the harddrive Christian had given her. It held enough information to put away Grace and Elliot and anybody else that was a part of this for a very long time. She held onto it tightly. Exposing the hard drive was going to be the first step to taking her life back. Being in control and doing something right. Maybe she didn't need to block out bad memories and instead make better ones.

"Ana, are you okay?" Asked Kate.

Ana smiled weakly at her friend as they got into the ambulance. "Yeah, I think I am."

* * *

**The End.**


End file.
